The Death of Dick Cheney: The Most Influential Shadow Man in Contemporary American Wars

Former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney passed away today, Tuesday, at the age of 84, according to his family. The man whose name has been associated for decades with the deepest layers of security and military decision-making in Washington leaves behind a heavy legacy in the memory of American politics.

A Career Spanning Four Administrations

Cheney began his political career as an assistant during the presidency of Richard Nixon, then became the youngest person to hold the position of White House Chief of Staff under Gerald Ford, before moving to Congress during Ronald Reagan's presidency. Under George H.W. Bush, he held the Secretary of Defense position, then reached the peak of his influence as Vice President under George W. Bush.

His daughter Liz Cheney continued the political path, representing the state of Wyoming in the House of Representatives.


The Architect of Modern Wars... and a Hawk of the Neoconservatives

Cheney's name is historically linked to the Gulf War of 1990 and 1991, but his most controversial role was during the Bush administration, when he played a central role in pushing for the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Cheney was one of the most important hawks of the "neoconservatives" within the U.S. administration after the September 11 attacks, and he fiercely promoted the narrative of Baghdad possessing weapons of mass destruction and its connection to al-Qaeda, which later turned out to be untrue.


Unprecedented Influence for a Vice President

Despite his health issues and having suffered three heart attacks before taking office as Vice President, Cheney became the most influential player within the White House during George W. Bush's presidency, even being described as the "de facto president" on national security and war issues.

Cheney's departure closes a significant chapter in the history of American power, but it leaves behind open questions about the cost of the decisions that shaped the Middle East and the world over the past two decades.